The loss got the Academics back on track, too, as they've returned to the CIAC Class M final for the second time in three seasons.

"We realized that there were some things we needed to fix and we've been doing a great job of that," Hillhouse coach Tom Dyer said. "We learned a lot about finishing. You have to finish games."

The Academics (10-2) have won their last five games by an average of 33 points. Their two losses were to teams playing for a state title — Xavier (Class LL) and Hand of Madison (Class L), the No. 1 team in The Day of New London Top 10 state coaches' poll.

"One of the benefits of playing in the Southern Connecticut Conference (is) if you get out of it, you're chances of (doing well) in the playoffs are very strong because the competition that we face on a weekly basis is very strong," Dyer said.

Hillhouse has also flourished thanks to one of the state's most dynamic backfields — running backs Andre Anderson and Harold Cooper.

Cooper, a junior, has run for 1,550 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 games. He's averaged 11.48 yards a carry. He's also the 2012 State Open indoor champion in the 55-meter dash (6.55 seconds).

"I'm extremely blessed as a coach to be coaching probably the best backfield tandem in the state," Dyer said. "I really look it as having a 1-A and a 1-B running back. … I think if either one of them were on a team by themselves, with the amount of carries that they would get, it would be an amazing amount of yards that they could compile.

"I think the biggest thing with the two of those guys is that they're unselfish and that they have great chemistry together. They understand that it's all about winning. It's not about their personal stats. The way that they catch the ball, the way that they run, the way that they do things in the game, those kids are amazing talents."

Senior quarterback Je'Vaughn Moore runs the show at quarterback. He controls the Academics triple-option offense and has thrown for 800 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 850 yards and seven scores.

"The thing with Je'Vaughn is that he's a competitor," Dyer said. "The kid competes and the kid will win at anything that he does. He wins in the classroom. He wins as a person. He wins on the football field. He only weighs about 170, but there's a reason that Georgetown is offering him a scholarship."

Moore, who'll play defensive back in college, became the starting quarterback in 2010. He, Cooper and Anderson all helped Hillhouse win the 2010 Class M championship.

"We felt as a staff that he'd be perfect playing quarterback in a triple option offense because of how many reads you have to make at the line and the kind of player he was and how competitive he was," Dyer said. "The kid has come a long way and that's one of the great things about coaching — you have a kid for four years and you see the maturation process and the kids really come in like this and he's leaving as a young man.

"Je'Vaughn is definitely one of those kids that I'm proud of as well as all my 14 seniors. It's just great seeing those kids have a chance to do this their senior year."

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We know there are many of you who are ready to puke if you hear another word about the SCC.

Better get your barf bags ready as we're going to type a few more words about the SCC.

Hand, Hillhouse and Xavier all played one another this season. Three teams, three state finalists.

There was only one team that played all three state finalists — North Haven. Those were also the only teams that beat it.

The whiners and cheapskates should've been at Monday's press conference at The Rent. Players from all eight finalists attended and they loved the joint. Lost count of how many of them went down to the field to take a look around.

Heck, Ansonia has played at The Rent the last two seasons, and even its players went to take a walk around the field.

The kids like The Rent, and that's all that matters.

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Any of you who cannot make it to The Rent this weekend (or are too cheap or think it's too far to go), we encourage you to follow along in any of the following ways: